Custer is definitely out of the way of all the hub bub ... Pretty relaxing area ... Lots of scenery and a good ride from Sturgis ... Keystone might be a good stop for breakfast, but in the evenings ( late afternoon ) coming back from Sturgis / Rapid City area the traffic can be a bit much ... All the vacationers headed for Mt. Rushmore for the evening viewing. 385 out of Deadwood back to Custer is a great ride too! Vanocker Canyon road down through Nemo and 385 back to Custer is a real nice ride ... There is a bit of dirt road just west of town to get on the Vanocker Canyon road but it's not bad.

 

So, getting there by 9 am is good.
I'm arriving in custer on the 8th and the Plan is to spend the 9-11 in sturgis. Then ride the black hills for a few days after the rally. Not a huge fan of standing in line to **** and pay crazy prices for food and drinks. Wont be eating there and will, as you say, spend my food money away from sturgis. Anything i will buy, will be when prices drop on the 10-11.
Appreciate the parking tip also!

 

Thanks Larry. I made note of those roads. Imagine I'll try all of them

 

We always stay in Custer. This year at the Chief Motel. The riding in the Custer and Hill City area is far better than around Sturgis. Like others have said, if you ride Iron Mountain, Needles highway and Custer State Park first thing in the morning it is much less crowded than later in the day. I only go to Sturgis 1 or 2 days of the week that we are there, and usually get there around noon. Always been able to park on Main, sometimes you may have to look alittle bit. If Main street is full, keep riding past the cop shop a few blocks, there is a cemetary on the left that the Church uses for parking during the rally (the un-used part of the cemetary). It is a fund raiser for the Church and they have people there to watch your bike. The year that I parked there they had squares of plywood to put your kickstand down on! They charge $5.00 for the day. It goes for a good cause. Vanocker Canyon road is a nice ride out of Sturgis to Hill City, but be back to Hill City by dark.

 

Staying at the Chief Motel too. I'll probably run into you. See you there. If you see santa clause on a black limited, it'll likely be me.
Thanks for the parking tips

 

I'm riding a Black Limited also! See you there, we should be there the evening of 8/3. Ride safe

 

Just wanted to jump in here and say "thanks" to all who have posted tips and pointers on the rally. My wife and I are first-timers this year and I've been reading every post I can find. We're riding from Ohio, and this is our retirement gift to ourselves. It took a lot of saving and a long time waiting but this is our year. Thanks again to all.
Respects,
ed

 

Hi, Ed and Pete, Alan here. I've been going to the Hills since the early 70's. Custer is a great place to stay, and close enough to everything. Bear in mind that the entire Black Hills are only about 50 miles wide and 150 miles long, and every road is a scenic drive. A great place to get a drink and food is the Custer (either VFW or American Legion....I can't remember which it is) on one end of main street. They don't raise their prices, serve great outdoor food at reasonable prices in the lot next to their building. Look for the military mural on the side of a building...you can't miss it!

You will be close to Crazy Horse monument (you can spend half a day there going through the huge museum), Custer National Park to see the buffalo, Mt. Rushmore. Be sure and ride Iron Mountain Road. You go through tunnels that frame Mt. Rushmore, and ride wooden corkscrew bridges. Be sure to spend one evening in each of the neighboring towns like Hill City and Keystone, and just watch the bikes go by.

Take the scenic ride west over to Newcastle Wyoming, go north to Devil's Tower, then over to Spearfish and ride Spearfish Canyon, one of the most scenic drives in America.

Have a great time! Here's a picture of some street art in Custer!

 

You will also be close to The Mammoth Site, if you are interested in such things. It's at Hot Springs, south of Custer. You can also go swimming in the natural hot springs.

http://www.mammothsite.com/default.htm

 

Avoid parking adjacent to One Eyed Jacks in Sturgis. The kitchen fans blow the kitchen grease up in the air and it will fall on the bikes around the joint, just one of those things that they can't control. When we went there we stayed at the KOA campground in Hill City, the lodge and cabins have full amenities. Enjoy your trip.